Blackwell Reference Online

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P hilosophy of religion [Latin, I believe in order that I may understand] An avowal from St Anselm 's Proslogion , in which the ontological argument was first expressed. Anselm claimed that it is impossible to understand Christian doctrines without faith or belief. Reason itself cannot discover anything intelligible about God . The view has inspired other explorations of non-intellectual or non-rational conditions of understanding. Outside theology, it is popular to affirm that one must use the practical means of living in a culture in order to understand that culture, and that detached rational understanding of a culture is impossible. “I do not seek to understand in order that I may believe, but I believe in order that I may understand ( credo ut intelligam ). For this I also believe; that if I did not believe, I could not understand.” Anselm, Proslogion ... log in or subscribe to read full text